The Suffolk County Legislature has voted unanimously to explore equipping police with body cameras. Apart from a small trial program, neither Suffolk or Nassau County police officers wear body cameras.
Their proposed bill is a first step towards joining thousands of other police departments around the country. Suffolk’s police union has expressed skepticism of implementing the technology, saying it's too expensive and could violate privacy concerns.
Noel DiGerolamo is president of the Police Benevolent Association in Suffolk.
“There's a lot of people who wouldn't want to be recorded in the public saying ‘Well, why do I want to be recorded on a domestic incident’ and then my neighbor basically has the video of my personal issue with my spouse,” DiGerolamo said.
The bill that passed the legislature attempts to explore these issues with a request for proposals from possible vendors. A report is due back in 120 days.
